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All About Goals

Steve Keating Leave a comment

If you’re a golf fan, then odds are you’ve watched golf on TV or maybe even attended a tournament or two. Just imagine watching your favorite player bombing a drive down the middle of the fairway and then hitting their approach shot within a foot of—a foot of nothing because there was no hole on the green. Nothing to shoot for, no way to finish the hole, no point in playing at all.

That seems foolish, doesn’t it? Putting all that work in to master hitting a golf ball long and straight. Then practicing endlessly to control the ball so you can stop it on the putting surface. And then…and then there is no then.

It’s like baseball with the base. Basketball without the basket. Football without the ball. And it’s like life without goals.

Now imagine waking up each day with a clear sense of purpose, knowing exactly what you’re working toward in your career, relationships, health, and personal growth. How cool would that be? That’s the magic of setting goals—not just in one area, but across every area of your life.

Goals are your roadmap, guiding you through the chaos of daily demands and helping you build a life that’s balanced, fulfilling, and aligned with your core values. It’s just a whole lot easier to keep going when things get tough when you know exactly where it is that you’re going to end up.

Having true goals is absolutely transformative. They transform an ordinary life into an extraordinary one. Here’s how.

1. Goals Give You Clarity and Direction

Life can feel like a mishmash of responsibilities, distractions, unexpected and sometimes, unending challenges. Without goals, it’s easy to drift aimlessly, reacting to whatever comes your way. Setting goals in areas like career, health, relationships, finances, and personal development gives you a North Star to follow. They help you define what success looks like for you—whether it’s landing a dream job, running a marathon, or deepening your connection with loved ones.

For example, a career goal might be to earn a promotion within two years, while a personal goal could be to read one book a month for self-growth. These targets provide clarity, so you’re not just “going through the motions” but actively steering your life toward meaningful outcomes.

It is amazing how many people can’t easily define what success means to them, that’s the telltale sign they lack true goals.

2. They Create Balance Across Your Life

Focusing on just one area—like pouring all your energy into work—can leave other parts of your life neglected, leading to burnout, strained relationships, or declining health. Goals in multiple areas encourage balance. By setting intentions for physical fitness (e.g., exercising three times a week), mental well-being (e.g., practicing mindfulness daily), and relationships (e.g., scheduling weekly family time), you ensure that no part of your life is left behind.

Think of your life like a wheel, with spokes representing health, career, relationships, spirituality, and more. If one spoke is missing or weak, the wheel wobbles. Setting clear goals keeps the wheel turning smoothly, helping you live a well-rounded life.

3. Goals Fuel Motivation and Progress

There’s something super motivating about working towards something you’re passionate about. Goals give you a reason to get out of bed, even on tough days. They break down big dreams into manageable steps, making progress feel achievable. For instance, if your financial goal is to save $10,000 for a home down payment, you can create smaller milestones, like saving $500 a month. Each step forward builds momentum and a sense of accomplishment.

This applies to every area of life. A health goal to lose 20 pounds becomes less daunting when you focus on eating more vegetables daily. A relationship goal to reconnect with friends feels doable when you commit to one coffee date a month. These small wins keep you motivated and remind you that progress is possible.

4. They Help You Prioritize and Manage Time

Time is limited, and without clear goals, it’s easy to waste it on distractions or obligations that do nothing for you. When you have goals across different areas, you’re forced to prioritize. You start saying “no” to things that don’t align with your vision and “yes” to what moves you closer to your goals.

For example, if you’re aiming to improve your mental health by journaling nightly, you might cut back on mindless scrolling. If your career goal is to learn a new skill, you’ll carve out time for online courses instead of overcommitting to social events. Goals act like a filter, helping you allocate your time and efforts wisely.

5. Goals Foster Resilience and Growth

Life isn’t a straight path—setbacks, failures, and obstacles are inevitable. Goals give you something to hold onto during tough times. They remind you why you’re pushing forward, whether it’s to build a stronger body, a thriving business, or a closer family. Even when you hit a snag, working towards a goal is like a superpower that teaches you resilience, problem-solving, and adaptability.

Plus, pursuing goals in diverse areas encourages personal growth. A spiritual goal to practice gratitude might deepen your perspective, while a creative goal to write a book could unlock hidden talents. Each goal is like a stepping stone, helping you grow into a more awesome, capable version of yourself!

6. They Align Your Life with Your Values

At their core, goals are about living intentionally. When you set them thoughtfully across all areas—career, health, relationships, finances, personal growth, and beyond—they reflect what matters most to you. This alignment gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment that’s hard to find otherwise.

For instance, if family is a core value, a goal to have weekly game nights ensures you’re investing in those bonds. If independence drives you, a financial goal to pay off debt puts you on that path.

Without goals, it’s easy to drift aimlessly, swayed by external pressures or fleeting whims. Goals anchor you to your values, ensuring your life reflects who you are and what you stand for.

How to Start Setting Goals in All Areas

Ready to unlock the full potential of goal-setting? Here’s a super easy way to do it:

1.Reflect on Key Areas: Consider categories like health, career, relationships, finances, personal growth, spirituality, and hobbies. Ask yourself, “What would make this area of my life feel more fulfilling?”

2. Set SMART Goals: Make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Instead of “getting fit,” aim for “walking 30 minutes five days a week for three months.”

3. Start Small: Don’t overwhelm yourself with dozens of goals. Pick one or two per area to focus on, ensuring they’re realistic and meaningful.

4. Track and Adjust: Review your progress regularly—weekly or monthly—and tweak your goals as needed. Life changes, and your goals should evolve with it.

5. Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge every milestone, no matter how small. Rewarding yourself reinforces motivation and makes the journey enjoyable.

The Ripple Effect of True Goals

When you set goals in all areas of life, they start to work together like a well-oiled machine! A health goal to sleep better boosts your energy for work. A career goal to network more introduces you to friends who enrich your social life. A personal growth goal to practice patience strengthens your relationships. This interconnectedness creates a positive ripple effect, where progress in one area lifts the others too.

Goals aren’t only about reaching objectives; they’re about becoming the best version of yourself. They give you a roadmap to live a purposeful, balanced, and joyful life. So begin today to dream big and plan out what you want in every aspect of your life. Your future self will most definitely thank you!

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How to Improve Your Strategic Thinking

Steve Keating Leave a comment

One of the many challenges for large, publicly traded companies is that they tend to run their businesses on a quarterly basis. They, of course, will deny this forever, but for many publicly traded companies, the most important quarter in the history of the company is whatever quarter they are currently in.

They have to “make the numbers,” or Wall Street will crush them.

That causes them to jettison a lot of long-term strategies in favor of short-term programs designed to achieve whatever quarterly results they had committed to achieving.

Surprisingly, the need for short-term programs at the end of a quarter most often comes from flawed long-term strategies developed earlier in the year. And better long-term strategies can only come from better strategic thinking.

Strategic thinking can be defined as the ability to analyze complex situations, anticipate future challenges and opportunities, and develop long-term plans to achieve specific goals. It involves a combination of critical thinking, problem-solving, and vision casting to make informed decisions that align with broader, long-term objectives.

Key elements of strategic thinking include:

Vision-Oriented – Focusing on long-term outcomes rather than just immediate problems.

Systems Thinking – Understanding how different elements interact within a larger system.

Analytical and Creative Thinking – Using data-driven insights while also considering innovative approaches.

Proactive Approach – Anticipating risks and opportunities before they arise.

Decision-Making Under Uncertainty – Navigating ambiguity with calculated risks.

Strategic thinking is a must for leaders, businesses, and even individuals who want to remain competitive, adaptable, and successful in achieving their objectives.

Leaders can improve their strategic thinking by developing a mindset that balances big-picture vision with practical execution. Here are key ways you can enhance your own strategic thinking.

1. Expand Your Perspective

Stay informed about industry trends, global developments, and emerging technologies.

Read widely—books, reports, and case studies—to gain diverse insights.

Engage with people outside your immediate industry to understand different viewpoints.

2. Ask Better Questions

Challenge assumptions by asking, “What if?” and “Why not?”

Use first-principles thinking to break down complex problems.

Regularly reflect on long-term goals and whether current actions align with them.

3. Develop Pattern Recognition

Analyze past successes and failures to identify trends.

Observe competitors and market shifts for early signals of change.

Use scenario planning to prepare for multiple possible futures.

4. Think in Systems, Not Silos

Understand how different parts of your organization interact.

Recognize bottlenecks, dependencies, and leverage points for impact.

Align resources and efforts to maximize synergy.

5. Make Time for Strategic Thinking

Block out time for deep thinking, away from daily firefighting.

Engage in brainstorming sessions with your team to explore long-term strategies.

Schedule regular reflection periods to assess progress and refine strategies.

6. Test and Iterate

Implement small-scale experiments to validate strategic decisions.

Use feedback loops to adjust course quickly.

Balance bold vision with flexibility to adapt to new realities.

7. Develop Decision-Making Discipline

Avoid analysis paralysis—focus on key priorities and take calculated risks.

Use data-driven decision-making while keeping intuition in check.

Learn from past decisions to refine future strategies.

All of this takes time. That’s where your mindset comes in. If you consider it a waste of time to block time on your calendar to think, then it’s unlikely you’ll do much, if any, of this. You will instead constantly be congratulating yourself for putting out one fire after another. If your mindset tells you that setting aside time to think and plan is a great investment of time, then you’ll likely prevent the fire in the first place.

Imagine what you can accomplish in the time you would have been firefighting. Whatever those accomplishments might be, I’ll bet they won’t include scrambling to achieve some goal at the end of a quarter or the end of a year. Because those goals will have already been met.

That’s a whole lot more productive and a whole lot less stressful way to lead an organization. But of course, as always, it’s your choice to make.

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How to Always Do the Next Right Thing

Steve Keating Leave a comment

I’ve been truly blessed with incredibly wise mentors throughout my life. These are people who cared enough about me to be honest. They were skilled enough communicators to deliver challenging coaching to me in a way I could accept it. They were smart enough to not ever attempt to make a decision for me. They provided all the pluses and minuses of a given decision and then stepped back to allow me to decide.

One of the best pieces of advice came from perhaps the best salesperson who ever lived. I mean that literally. His name was Tom. He sold billions of dollars’ worth of his product throughout his career to always delighted clients. I was at a point in my own career where I was feeling a little “stuck.” I wasn’t sure what I should do, so I went to Tom and asked him what he thought.

He said he couldn’t tell me specifically what to do, but in his opinion, I should do the next right thing. I had received some “interesting” coaching from Tom in the past, but this particular information seemed more “interesting” than ever. I replied to Tom that if I knew what the next right thing to do was, I wouldn’t be stuck. I also wouldn’t be asking him for advice.

He was undaunted. He said that somewhere within me I knew what the next right thing was. He said if I didn’t know, I had all the skills and knowledge needed to figure it out on my own. It was frustrating advice, but as he helped me work through my thought process, it became clear that as usual, he was correct.

He simply reminded me what I knew and where I wanted to go in life. He reviewed my Core Values with me and assured me that “the next right thing” would be found in those values and in my goals.

Determining the next right thing to do is a continual process that involves a combination of self-awareness, goal-setting, and review, prioritization, and reflection. Here’s a step-by-step guide that Tom shared with me to help me navigate this process.

1. Define or Review Your Goals

• Set Specific Goals: Break down your overarching goal into smaller, manageable tasks.

• Time-bound: Assign deadlines to each task to create a sense of urgency and structure.

2. Assess Your Current Situation

• Self-Assessment: Evaluate where you currently stand in relation to your goals.

• Identify Obstacles: Recognize any challenges or barriers that may impede your progress.

3. Prioritize Tasks

• Urgency vs. Importance: Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks based on their urgency and importance.

• High-Impact Activities: Focus on tasks that will have the most significant impact on your progress.

4. Break Down Tasks

• Small Steps: Divide larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.

• Actionable Items: Ensure each step is actionable and can be accomplished in a reasonable timeframe.

5. Stay Organized

• Planning Tools: Use planners, calendars, or project management tools to keep track of your tasks and deadlines.

• Daily Review: Review your plan daily to stay on track and make adjustments as needed.

6. Maintain Flexibility

• Adaptability: Be willing to adjust your plans as new information or opportunities arise.

• Continuous Learning: Be open to learning and improving your approach based on feedback and results.

7. Seek Feedback

• Mentorship: Seek advice from mentors or peers who’ve had experience in your area of focus.

• Reflect: Regularly reflect on your progress and identify areas for improvement.

8. Take Action

• Commitment: Commit to taking action, even if it’s imperfect. The act of moving forward is crucial.

• Consistency: Regular, consistent action, even if small, leads to progress over time.

9. Evaluate and Reflect

• Review Progress: Periodically review what you’ve accomplished.

• Learn from Mistakes: Identify what didn’t work and learn from those experiences to refine your approach.

10. Stay Motivated

• Celebrate Milestones: Acknowledge and celebrate small wins to stay motivated.

• Positive Mindset: Maintain a positive attitude and focus on the progress you’ve made, not just what’s left to do.

Practical Example

Let’s say your goal is to write a book. Here’s how you can apply the steps:

1. Define Clear Goals: Set a goal to write a 300-page book within a year.

2. Assess Your Current Situation: Determine your writing speed and available time.

3. Prioritize Tasks: Outline the book’s chapters and prioritize writing the most critical sections first.

4. Break Down Tasks: Break down writing each chapter into smaller tasks, such as drafting an outline, writing 5 pages per day, and revising.

5. Stay Organized: Use a calendar to schedule writing sessions and deadlines for each chapter.

6. Maintain Flexibility: If you encounter writer’s block, be willing to adjust your schedule or change your writing environment.

7. Seek Feedback: Share drafts with peers or mentors for constructive feedback.

8. Take Action: Write daily, even if it’s just a few sentences.

9. Evaluate and Reflect: Review your progress weekly and adjust your plan if necessary.

10. Stay Motivated: Celebrate finishing each chapter and keep a positive outlook on your progress.

You absolutely know what your own “next right thing” is. By following these steps, you can ensure that you bring it to the surface and use it to make progress towards your goals. Remember, ALL progress is progress, even baby steps.

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Purposeful Planning

Steve Keating 1 Comment

Most people don’t plan. They don’t plan because they believe plans “don’t work.” Nothing ever goes according to plan so what’s the point in planning they ask. 

One of the greatest military strategists and tacticians in the history of the United States, President Eisenhower once stated that plans are useless. (He had a little more to say on the subject of planning but we’ll get to that in a moment)

The truth is, most plans don’t work. They don’t work for a variety of reasons. One huge one is that even people who put in some level of effort creating a plan then fail to work the plan. So before we go any further let’s get one thing straight. No plan works if no one is working the plan. 

Planning does not guarantee success. It does however improve your odds of achieving it. 

Another reason plans don’t work is that the people developing them are not realistic. Two critical elements to a solid plan are knowing your starting point and your desired outcome. We call your starting point the “as is.” What is your current situation? What level of effort are you willing AND able to commit to your future success today. 

That’s where many plans go off the rails. The plan includes some pie in the sky estimate about the level of effort a person is willing to commit in order to reach the desired outcome. What we call the “should be.” 

Here’s one common example. People make a plan to get in shape. They are already very busy people but they commit to one hour a day of working out, most likely at some gym or fitness facility. Committing that hour is the easiest part of the plan. The hardest part of making that plan work often never even comes to mind for most people. 

The hardest part is committing to STOP doing something that’s become a habit in your life for one hour a day. When you make your plan you likely know that there are 24 hours in a day. But most plans look as if the act of making a plan somehow added an hour to everyday. It makes we wonder if people think the extra hour they have committed to doing something new is just gonna fall out of the sky. 

A successful plan for any type of self improvement must include what you will STOP doing in order to make the plan work. 

Now about that “should be.” 

Those who know me well know that I think I “should be” King. I don’t know King of what or who. I  do know so many things would be better if I was King. For instance, I would eliminate lines. There would be no more lines for popcorn at the movie theater. No lines for rides at Disney parks. No lines at the grocery store, absolutely no lines anywhere. Think of the time it would save. 

But…there are a couple of little problems there. First, I’ve sadly come to the conclusion that I’ll never be King. Of anything. While apps on Smartphones have contributed to the shortening of lines at theaters and grocery stores I’m afraid lines, lots and lots of lines, at Disney are a fact of life. 

By putting an uncontrollable and unattainable “should be’s” in your plan you demotivate yourself. That leads to the abandonment of your plan and reinforces the belief that “plans are useless.” 

Now, back to President Eisenhower. Yes, he definitely said, “plans are useless” but his complete statement was, “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”

Eisenhower knew that plans seldom work out completely as intended. But he also understood that the act of planning prepared him for the unexpected. He was not surprised by what happened on the field of battle. That’s because all possibilities had at least been considered during the planning process. 

For most of us our “fields of battle” are competitive marketplaces, disrupted supply chains, unscrupulous competitors, and difficult economic conditions to name a few. But planning still pays dividends. I’d say in challenging times planning pays even greater dividends. 

Make sure you know your “as is.” Be honest with yourself. Be realistic with your “should be.” There are of course several more elements to a successful planning process but if you get those first two right you’re well on your way to a plan that will get you to where you want to go. 

Some of you know that I’ve been trying out something relatively new over on Twitter. It’s called SuperFollow. That means I post some tweets that are for subscribers only. The tweets I post for subscribers are video only. I post two each weekday, mostly on leadership but also sales and living a better life in general. I’m also way more available for questions from SuperFollowers than I can be for the million plus regular Twitter followers. The investment to see these “SuperTweets” is $4.99 a month, that’s about 17 cents a day. The videos continue to grow in popularity so clearly a lot of people think they are worthwhile. 

I don’t get to keep the entire $4.99. Twitter of course gets some, Apple, for reasons I don’t entirely understand, gets an even bigger chunk than Twitter. What’s left after that ALL goes to charity. So you can help yourself with solid video coaching and make a difference in the world too. This month the charity is very very close to my heart. All the proceeds are going to help kids with Down Syndrome. 

You can find more information by clicking the Super Follow button on my Twitter profile page IN THE TWITTER APP. http://twitter.com/leadtoday Give it a try if you’re so inclined, and if you are, be sure to let me know how I’m doing and how I can be of even more help.

A Vision and a Plan to Achieve It are Two Different Things

Steve Keating 3 Comments

It’s interesting when I ask people about their future plans. They tell me things like “my plan is to be debt free in three years.” I respond by saying that’s a terrific vision, so what’s the plan to get there?

I often see a deer in the headlights kind of look. 

That indicates to me that most people don’t understand that merely having a vision does absolutely nothing to ensure you achieve it. A vision of your future come from dreams and the attainment of that vision comes from planning.

Almost all people believe having goals is important. Many actually have written their goals down. Few however, have any kind of a formal plan for how, and when, they will achieve those goals. They can only hope it will somehow magically happen. 

I suppose it’s possible but personally I’ve never seen hoping for magic actually lead to success. 

The development of a true plan requires a complete examination of your starting point, your “As Is” or current situation. You need to be very honest here and not sugar coat the starting point on your journey to success. If you try to fool yourself in this step every other part of your plan will be wrong. You’ll demotivate yourself before you even have a chance for success.

You also need to have a clear vision of your future. Where you are going and why you want to go there. This is the “Should Be” part of your plan. Keep in mind, this is not your goals, this is where you end up when your goals are achieved. 

Now that you have that end result in mind you need to decide what you’re willing to give up to have it. Life is a trade off. Many people think in terms of what they are willing to do to achieve their vision. They fill their plans with all the things they will do to make it happen.

But they forget they only have 1440 minutes a day. If they are busy people most of that time is already used up. If you’re going to do new things to achieve your vision then you’ll almost certainly have to let some of the things you had been doing go. Build those into your plan as well. Be realistic about the time you’re willing to commit, failing to do that will result in the failure of your plan. 

Now you can set some goals. These goals are the stepping stones on your path to success. You’ll want some short term goals, some medium term goals and some long range goals. All the goals must align, what that means is that the accomplishment of each short term goal should get you closer to one of your medium term goals. 

The accomplishment of each medium term goal should get you closer to a long range goal. The accomplishment of every goal should move you closer to your actual vision. Be careful when setting goals, if they stretch you too far you could give up on them. If they don’t stretch you far enough then you’ll likely never see that vision come to life. Be realistic!

Now the truly important part. The timetable! When will you begin? I mean exactly when will you begin? Spell this out down to the minute. Not next month or next week. The plan must say I will begin at 8:03am on Monday the 27th of June. Be precise. 

Every goal needs a precise start time and achievement date and time. I’ll begin working towards this particular goal on July 13th at 11:51am and I’ll have accomplished it by August 21st at 2:02pm. 

Your plan also must include the ultimate accomplishment date. When EXACTLY will the vision come to life. 

Imagine the motivation that comes from knowing exactly what you’re doing everyday and exactly why you’re doing it. That’s powerful. 

Now, here’s where most plans go off the rails. “Stuff” as they say happens. And that’s perfectly okay because part of your plan includes periodic reviews to adjust the time frames for the goals and maybe even adjust some of the goals. The most common mistake in planning is tossing the plan in the trash as soon as the first unplanned obstacle pops up. 

Adjust, adapt, innovate and keep moving towards your ultimate vision.

The most successful people are steadfast in the pursuit of their goals but they are flexible in that pursuit. Let the “stuff” happen, but don’t get stuck in it. 

On a another subject…I’m trying something new on Twitter. It’s called “Super Followers.” For $5 a month, that’s 17 cents a day, people can follow a part of my Twitter stream that is for subscribers only. It features short videos of me discussing leadership topics, sales tips and ideas for better overall relationships. I’m assuming there will be far fewer Super Followers than the million or so people who regularly follow me on Twitter. That will give me the opportunity to answer questions more throughly than I can on regular Twitter. Most of the answers will come in the evening cause we all have day jobs, right? Think of it as ”mentoring on demand!”

My goal with SuperFollowers is to build a better connection, one where I can perhaps help more and have a greater impact. I’m hoping it gives me a chance to mentor to a wider audience. It’s still new, we’ll see how it works. It’s a $5 dollar investment that may be the extra “push” you need to get to where you want to be. I’d be honored to be able to help get you there. 

You can find more information by clicking the Super Follow button on my Twitter profile page IN THE TWITTER APP. http://twitter.com/leadtoday Give it a try if you’re so inclined, and if you are, be sure to let me know how I’m doing and how I can be of even more help.

Planning for a Better 2021 – The “Follow-Up”

Steve Keating 1 Comment

Congratulations! You have a plan. If you’ve followed the steps we laid out in the previous 7 posts you not only have a plan, you have a plan based on your values and goals. There are not too many people who can say that. So good for you.

While your plan is ready to be implemented, or “launched” it is not yet done. In fact, the best plans are never done. That’s why the 8th and not really “final” step in the process is called The “Follow-Up.” 

Even as you work your way through your plan you should be reviewing it periodically to make sure it still “works” for you. If we’ve learned anything from 2020 it’s that life has a not so funny way of turning our plans to mush. 

Mushy plans are not good plans. So constantly be tweaking your plan. 

While tweaking your plan you must keep this undying principle in mind…you plans can, will, and should change as circumstances require. The Core Values upon which you’ve built your plan should remain rock solid. 

Your well thought out and developed plan is a living plan. Do not allow it to die a circumstantial death. As your environment changes, as you change, as circumstances change, your plans must change as well.

The “Follow-Up” step is where you schedule 30, 60, 90, 180 day reviews of your plan. During the 180 day review schedule additional follow-ups as needed. Put these follow-ups on your calendar. Ask your coach, mentor, or accountability partner to review the progress you’ve made towards your plan. They can offer suggestions for adjustments or advise you to stay the course. 

You now have a plan that clearly states who you are and where you are. You have a plan that says specifically who you will be in the future. You have a plan that illuminates the path that you need to follow to arrive at your goals in life. 

Continuously feed your plan with fresh thinking. Provide it with the effort and discipline needed to keep your plan in constant forward motion. 

Your reward will be a life full of the things you earned while working your plan. Pay particular attention to that previous sentence. Your reward will be the things you EARNED while WORKING your plan. 

You have an awesome plan but it will not work for you if you do not work for it. Work your plan and enjoy the life it helps you earn.

Planning for a Better 2021 – The “Launch”

Steve Keating 1 Comment

The “Launch” is the seventh step in our planning process. It’s also one of the most frequently skipped steps. It is amazing to me how many times I’ve seen a person or a company invest time and in the case of companies, huge amounts of money, to develop a great plan and then do nothing with it. 

Years ago I was working for a company and we were contacted by one of the largest banks in the world. While they were already huge, their growth was stagnant and they wanted a plan to begin growing again. 

We advised them that the first step of developing a plan would be determining where they were at right now…we needed a crystal clear idea of their “As Is.” As I said this was a large bank and the most effective way to determine their current situation was to conduct a needs assessment throughout all levels of the organization. This would a seven figure investment and they would receive an actionable plan that would lead to a return to growth for the organization. 

We delivered the plan to the bank on time, which was four months after the process began. They were a little overwhelmed at the amount of detail we provided but they agreed wholeheartedly with our findings. They were excited to be moving forward. 

We scheduled our first follow up meeting (The Follow Up will be the 8th and final step in our process) for 90 days after they put the plan into action. 90 days later when we called to confirm the follow up meeting they asked to reschedule. They were still preparing to launch the plan “in the very near future.” Remember they paid over a million dollars for the needs assessment and the plan that came out of it. 

The bank NEVER did actually launch the plan. They had the best of intentions. They invested heavily to make certain their plan was actionable and that their desired outcomes would be achieved. But they failed to launch!

The “Launch” is where having a coach or a mentor can make a huge difference. Without someone to hold you accountable you may never begin. Or, you may have a few “false starts” and then never get going again. 

Think of all the time you’ve invested to this point. You likely know more about yourself then you ever have before. You’ve dreamed your dream and made a plan to make it become real. You’ve done the hardest part. 

All that’s left is to implement the plan. 

You need to take that first step. Some of us, okay, most of us will still need a little push. That’s what your coach or mentor is for. If you think coaches or mentors are only for big shots then don’t get one.  But find yourself an accountability partner and ask them to hold you accountable. The only requirement for an accountability partner is that they care enough about you to actually hold you accountable. 

I can’t say that strongly enough…whoever you ask to hold you accountable MUST truly CARE for you. That is a must must must! They need to be willing to keep encouraging you, pushing you, even scolding you in that’s what’s needed. Your accountability partner needs to stay along side of you when you tell them you’re done. They must care enough to not allow you to be done. 

Some people seem to misread the title of this step. After completing their plan instead of going to “launch” they simply go to lunch…and apparently never come back. Lunch can wait, your future will not! Implement your plan ASAP…as in today because in you’re always waiting for tomorrow, tomorrow never comes.